Tripod.



F. W BARNES.

TRIPOD. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1910.

Patented 001. 31,1911.

A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BARNES, OF ROCHESTER, NEW.YORK, ASSIGNOR TQ EASTMAN" KODAK CO2, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORKQA CORPORATION OF NEW'YORK.

TRIPOD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 31, 1911 Application filed une 14,1910, Serial No. 566,728.

To all whom tivnay concern:

Be it known that I, -FREDERICK V. Bananas, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented -certain new and useful Improvements in Tripods; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the specification, and to the -reference-numerals marked thereon. I

' The present invention relates to tripods such as are used for supporting photographic and other instruments, and it has for its objectto provide a folding or c'ol lapsible device of'this character which will be light, strong and durable, and yet so constrlicted as to permit its production at low cost.

A further object of the invention is to so form and arrange the interlocking parts of the leg sections as to render them capable of being easily assembled and. also readily accessible for purposes of repair and adjustment.

To these and other ends the invent-ion consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a tripod constructed in accordance 'with and illustratin one embodiment of my invention, one of the legs being in retracted position and the upper or larger section of one of the others being shown in longitudi nal section; Fig. 2 is a 'detailperspective View 'of the locking spring with adjacent parts of the section by which it is carried being-broken away; Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section throughthe. locking device with the adjarent ends-ofboth of two cooperating sections uponwhich it.acts,.and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the eradleinto whichthe legs are folded, the viewbeing insection through thelat-ter. 1 v i In the tripod illustrated, each leg is composed of fourtelescoping sections, 1, 2, 3, 4, the larger or containingsection 1 being at the top and pivoted atoitosuitable attaching port-ions onthe underside of the supporting head ortable 6 that carries themeInbeer 7 for holding the camera or' other in-, strument on the tripod. The lower or smaller section 4 is provided at'its lower end with a suitable-ground engaging spur 8, as usual. The sections are extended for use as shown in Fig. 1, or the smaller ones may .be contracted within the larger holding sec- ..tion 1, as shown by the condition of one of the legs in the same figure. This section carries a cradle 9 comprising in the present instance a pair. of transversely .extending plates connected by an attaching band 10 and provided with depressions 11 forming seats'for the other two legs-in addition totheseat12 permanent-1y occupied by the car; rying leg. A strap 13 encircles all three legs when folded into their seats, as shown in Fig. 4. one end 14L thereof being permanently attached to the cradle, while the outer free end 15 is provided with a suitable securing device 16 so that itmay be detachably secured thereto" and temporarily hold the parts together.

The sections are tubular in form and the latter and the sleeve, as clearlyv shown in Fig. 3. h

' Within the same end of the section carrying the sleeve is a tubular thimble 20 that "is also held by the pin 19 andthe lower end 21 of which forms an abutment to limit the inward or telescopically folding movement oft-he next smaller section, while within the thimble is, looped a I leaf spring 21, the

arms 22 and'23 of which extend longitudi'-- nally ofthe walls ofthe thimble and are pierced and held by the pin 19. This spring operates a locking abutment 24 preferably carried on'the endofon'e arnr thereof, to

normally actuate it'th'rough a slot 25 in thethimble and an opening 26 in the carrying section to a position 'in which it cooperates with the end of the larger section, as shown in Fig. 3. To disengage the locking abutment it is simply pressedinward-ly with the thumb and held until the movement 'of'its" carrying section confines it within thelarger receiving section. a

The. advantages of the simple arrangementdescribed aresapparent. In assembling, the sleeve -18 t,himble 20, and spring tion 1 is preferably in the form of a head 27 into which the end of the section is threaded so that by unscrewing it the next smaller sect-ion 2 may be passed through and, after the parts 18, 20, 21 are removed from the latter, the neXt smaller section 3 may, in turn, be passed through it, as described, and .so on, a reversal of the procedure outlined being followed in assembling.

I claim as m invention:

1. In a tripod leg, thecombination "with two telescoping tubular sections the larger of which has an interiorly arranged abut- I ment near one end, of ,a sleeve on the outer side of the adjacent end of the smaller section cooperating with the abutment to limit the outward relative movement of the sections anda pin extending through the sleeve and from side to side through the smaller section to hold them together the pin carrying portion .of the smaller section being adapted to be projected from the opposite end. of the larger section.

2. In a tripod leg, the combination with two telescoping tubular sections, the larger of which has an interiorly arrangedabutment near one end, of a sleeve on the outer side of the adjacent end of the smaller section cooperating with the abutment to limit the outwhrd relative movement of the sections, a thimble arranged within said end and adapted to cooperate with the end of the next smaller section to limit the inward movement thereof and a securing device extending through the sleeve, from side to side through the section and through the thimble to hold them together the portion of the section carrying the securing device being adapted to be projected from the opposite end of the upper section.

3. In a tripod leg, the combination with two telescoping tubular sections, the smaller of which is provided with an opening near one end, of a yoke shaped leaf spring looped within said end with its arms lyingagainst the opposite walls thereof, a fastener extending through the tube from side to side and through the arms ofthe spring and a locking abutment operated by the spring through the opening to cooperate with the larger section, and prevent inward relative movement of the sections.

4. In a tripod leg, the combination with two telescoping tubular sections, the smaller- .of which is provided with an opening near one end of' a leaf spring looped within said end, a locking abutment operated thereby through the opening to cooperate with the larger section and prevent inward relative movement of the sections and a securing pin passing from side to side through both arms of the spring and through the section by which it is carried the pin carrying portion of the smaller section being adapted to be projected from the opposite end of the larger section.

In a tripod leg, the combination with two telescoping tubular sections the smaller one of which is provided with an opening near one end, of a tubular thimble within said end forming an abutment to limit the inward movement ofthe next smaller section, a leaf spring looped within the thimble, a locking abutment operated thereby through the opening to cooperate with the" larger section and prevent inward relative movement of the sections and a securing device extending through both arms of the spring, the thimble and from side to side through the section by which both are carried.

6. In a tripod leg the combination with two telescoping tubular sections the larger of which has an interiorly arranged abutment near one end, of a sleeve on the outer side of the adjacent end of the smaller section cooperating with the abutment to limit the outward relative movement of the sections, a tubular thimble Within said end of the sleeve carrying section forming anabutment to limit the inward movement of the next smaller section, a spring within the thimble, a locking abutment operated thereby through an open ing in the Wall ofone of the sections to cooperate with the other section and prevent inward relative move nent of the sections and a securing pin common to the spring, the thimble, the carrying section, and the sleeve. having its end exposed on the outer surface of the latter.

7. The combination with a folding tripod having a plurality of legs, of a cradle carried by one of said legs and having seats for the reception of the others when in folded position and. a strap having one end permanently attached to the cradle and the other adapted to encircle all the legs and to be detachably secured to the cradle. V

' FREDERICK W. BARNES. WVitnesses:

RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH,

LncY A. VAN Counr. 

